Pilbara Clean Energy Training and Research Institute progresses to design

Aurecon Australasia will design the Clean Energy Training and Research Institute (CETRI) under the WA Government’s $140m push to establish the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub.

The $22m facility will be a multi-user training hub and research institute that incorporates different training providers and research site locations across industry and tertiary and vocational training settings.

The design process will occur over the next eight months, during which extensive consultations will occur with key stakeholders. This will include industry, the training and research sector and community groups, including Aboriginal organisations in the Pilbara region.

Aurecon will undertake a co-design process with key CETRI stakeholders to ensure the CETRI is accessible, impactful and meet the needs of industry for the jobs of the future in clean energy generation, processing and export.

The CETRI will focus on research and development activities, as well as developing skills and training in areas relating to clean energy industries, including production, transportation, storage and export of renewable hydrogen and its carriers.

The CETRI and the Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence (CESNCE) will collaborate to maximise the impact of joint investment in these two critical projects and support the development of a skilled workforce for the net zero transition.

WA Regional Development Minister Don Punch says this is the start of an exciting new development in WA’s path to decarbonisation and clean energy generation.

“The Pilbara region is well positioned to be a global leader in clean energy generation, processing and export,” he said.

“The CETRI will play a crucial role in realising that ambition and will train a local workforce to deliver some $90b worth of clean energy projects currently in the pipeline for delivery in the region over the next decade.

“I congratulate Aurecon on their selection as the consultant to undertake the CETRI design and I look forward to this important project progressing over the course of the design over the next eight months.”

WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk comments on the milestone.

“This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to skill up the workforce needed for the clean energy transition which is expected to generate about 350,000 jobs over the next 25 years,” she said.

“The collaboration between CETRI and our Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence will harness the strengths of WA’s TAFE network to build the workforce.

“Along with other initiatives like free and low-cost training, this demonstrates [the WA] Government’s commitment to increasing apprentices in trades vital to the clean energy transition such as electrical, plumbing and engineering.”

The Pilbara Hydrogen Hub is expected to become operational by mid-2028, supporting almost 1000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.